Mar Menor Lagoon

The coast along Costa Calida and Mar Menor has two very distinct parts. The part facing the east is predominantly Mar Menor, also known as ‘Little Sea’. It is a large natural lagoon which is six miles wide and more than 10 miles long. The waters here are about five degrees warmer than the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea and also a lot shallower. Between the lagoon and the Mediterranean is a strip of land called La Manga del Mar Menor (the sleeve of the little sea). This sandbar is 22km long with a width that varies between 100 metres and 1200 metres. If you stand on the strip and look inwards towards the Mar Menor Lagoon it looks like a small lake. The deepest spot is only seven meters and the water temperature maintains an average of around 17°C.

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The whole of the lagoon has beaches that gently slope to the warm waters. Police patrols and lifeguards can be found in the popular spots here and great attention is paid to litter collection which is why the area is so clean. You will find a good choice of marinas here and as there are no waves or tides it is the ideal place for those who enjoy water sports.

For all holidaymakers staying at La Manga Club Resort, we thoroughly recommend a visit to the Mar Menor for its open-air mud therapy. The lagoon water has a high concentration of salt and iodine which is known to be beneficial to those who suffer from skin complaints or rheumatism. There are several places to find the mud at Mar Menor, including Los Alemanes beach and Las Charcas de las Salinas in North Mar Menor.

Offering more than 300 annual days of sunshine, and an average temperature of 21°C, it’s easy to see why so many travellers love to visit here each year.